The memory illusion
Subtitle: remembering, forgetting, and the science of false memory
By: Dr Julia Shaw
Publisher: Random House Books
Published: 2016
Language: eng
Number of pages: 288
ISBN-13: 9781847947628; 9781847947611
Copyright date: 2016
Subjects: False memory syndrome; PSYCHOLOGY / Cognitive Psychology & Cognition; PSYCHOLOGY / Cognitive Neuroscience & Cognitive Neuropsychology; Memory
Description: Think you have a good memory? Think again. Memories are our most cherished possessions. We rely on them every day of our lives. They make us who we are. And yet the truth is they are far from being the accurate record of the past we like to think they are. True, we can all admit to having suffered occasional memory lapses, such as entering a room and immediately forgetting why, or suddenly being unable to recall the name of someone we've met dozens of times. But what if we have the potential for more profound errors of memory, even verging on outright fabrication and self-deception? Dr Julia Shaw uses the latest research to show the astonishing variety of ways in which our brains can indeed be led astray.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (pages 259-275) and index.
Table of contents: title: Why identity and memory are inherently linked; title: Why some of our childhood memories are impossible; title: Why to remember is to perceive; title: Why brain physiology can lead our memories astray; title: Why no one has infallible memory; title: Superiority, identity crisis, and making monsters; title: Why our memory for emotional events is flawed; title: Why media moulds our memory; title: Why we can falsely remember traumatic events; title: Why we should embrace our faulty memory.